Kate Middleton Style Breakdown: What’s Right, What’s Wrong, and How to Fix It
Like her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, Kate Middleton is one of the most photographed style stars of her day whose every stitch of clothing is watched with hawk-like interest.
If she wears a mass market dress, it immediately sells out in minutes. If it's something high-end and luxe, copycats and replicas are instantly created and trickle down to discount retailers. While she may be the future Queen of England, she's still got an enviable Everywoman style.
Yes, it's true that Kate almost always looks flawless and fabulous, if she does go a little heavy on the coats. Then again, she's got plenty of functions that are outdoors in chilly England, so she has to keep warm -- and she manages to retain her signature style while fending off the cold.
Her go-tos are clingy wrap dresses, which she often pairs with knee-high black boots.
And, as we mentioned, lots of coats. She usually teams her wool toppers with black heels, showing off her gams. Even this somewhat boring and belted chocolate brown coat gets "oomph" from her legs.
What's Right:
Middleton's beige Burberry trench was ultra modern and hip thanks to the fact that she paired it with black opaque tights and heels. She was completely pulled together and polished. It was a top notch look fit for a queen (to be.)
Her cobalt blue Erdem dress, worn in Canada last year, remains classic and on-trend. She wisely paired it with nude heels, so nothing distracted from the dress's stunning hue. The lace shoulders and three-quarter length sleeves were chic and different.
The silky blue Issa wrap dress she wore to her engagement announcement is regarded as one of her best looks ever. It was wearable, and a nation of Kate-wannabes could look good in it. It showed her to be like the People's Princess (aka Diana) in her effortless and copy-able style.
Kate's simple black velvet Alexander McQueen in a column shape was another easy-to-replicate look. But despite its mass market cut and appeal, it was still chic and upscale.
Kate could easily stick to wearing only her favorite designers - like McQueen - but she doesn't. She wore this yellow eyelet Jonathan Saunders dress paired with nude wedges, and looked summery and sweet. She tends to choose from a variety of design houses, and that helps her look stay so fresh.
The royal was lovely in this black and white lace frock. Notice her affinity for three-quarter length sleeves.
What's Wrong:
Dressing so prim and proper at times can render Kate a bit dowdy. This Emilia Wickstead skirt suit is well-tailored, but the cotton candy hue - we'll say "candy floss," since that's what they call it in the U.K. - is a little too precious.
Again, we have to preface it by saying that Middleton is a such an on-point style maven, so it's almost hard to find something that doesn't look amazing on her.
The same conundrum rears its head here. This lemon yellow Jaeger dress is cute, if a little dull and plain. Kate knows how to pick 'em with the short dresses when performing her wifely royal duties, but she didn't pick as wisely here.
While she has shown a propensity to wear things her subjects can also wear, sometimes we wish she would "wow" us with something you can't copy. We dunno what's brighter, though: the color of her dress, or her smile.
How to Fix It:
Middleton's smart and sexy choices, like this black and white print Max Mara wrap dress (which sold out in seconds after she was snapped in it), highlight her youth, her legs, her glossy cocoa locks and her energy.
Ornate hats are a British thing, but Kate's toppers are always adorable since she adds them to the right dresses -- like this crimson wool crepe dress by her beloved McQueen.
Her ball gowns and formal attire are usually always top-notch, like this princess-y white and gold McQueen with an empire waist.
We'd also love to see her in more Temperley, another homegrown designer. This lace gown is sexy, thanks to the low-cut front.
Kate wears a lot of coats, so we like when she changes it up a little with a swingy hem and a peacock hue. She's one gorgeous mama-to-be here.